Improvement in carriage-springs



PRISEUS E. BOMBOY, OF ESPY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-SPRINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 71,574, dated December 3, 1867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PRisEUs E. Boi/mov, of `Espy, Columbia county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented, made, and applied to use a new and useful Improvement in Springs for Garriages and other wheel vehicles; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure 1 represents a side view of a twowheel vehicle with my improvement, and Fig. 2 represents a rear view of the same.

My invention has reference to the use of spiral springs for securing the bodies of carriages to the axles or running-gear of vehicles, and for vehicle-seats, and for providing in a higher degree that flexible and elastic quality so necessary for the comfort of the rider, and

y for the preservation of the vehicle itself, than is afforded by the springs now in use; and it consists in the application of common spiral springs, of larger diameter at one -end than at the other, the larger end of which is secured to the upper side of the axle in a vertical position, and the upper ends to the body, or, in case of a two-wheel vehicle, to the shafts, in combination with iiat steel staysprings, one end of which is secured to the axle at the base of the said spiral springs, the

other ends being extended "in the direction of the draft upon the carriage, and secured to the shafts or to the body in such manner as to prevent any lateral strain upon the spiral springs in that direction.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation. v

A in the drawings represents the axle of a two-wheel carriage. B represents the spiral springs, C, the llat steel springs, and D the shafts. The spiral springs are made of any suitable material, and secured at their ends to the respective parts in any suitable manner. They are made tapering from the bottom toward the top, for the purposes of graduating the power of resistance of the same. The

bottom and largest coil, having more flexibility, or less power of resistance, will be the first to yield under the load, and will suffice for a light load, each succeeding coil bending down and resting upon the preceding one as the load increases.

Thus it will be seen that a wide range of variation in the load may be provided for by the variations of the coils of the spring, and yet preserve the same, or nearly the same, degree of elasticity.

In this respect I have found by experience my improved springs to possess a very decidedadvantage over other springs now in y use.

The flat steel springs, being rigidly secured at each end, securely prevent any tendency of the spiral springs to bend over or double in the direction of the draft of the carriage, also any side or lateral motion of the carriage-body, by reason of their intiexibility in that direction, thus sustaining them always in a vertical direction.

It will be obvious that my improved springs can be constructed much cheaper than those now in use, and much lighter, and equally if not altogether more durable.

Another very important advantage derived from springs of this construction is, that by reason of the connection of the flat steel springs with the carriage-body, no reach or other separate connection between the two axles is required, thereby saving a material item in the cost of road-carriages. They are equally applicable to railroad-cars, street-cars, and many other purposes of a similar kind. I therefore do not limit myself to the application of them to road-vehicles merely.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v In the construction of springs for carriages and other like purposes, the combination of the spiral springs B with the flat springs C, one end of the latter being connected to the axle-tree, the other to the shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

il?. E. BOMBOY.

Witnesses:

JN0. H. MGGUTGHEN, WM. H. J AMEs. 

